Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Sweet Spice is an aromatic spice blend sold at Super Green Land, (a supermarket in Dearborn Michigan that is part of a small chain of Middle Eastern supermarkets in the United States). The
mixture is similar to anise seed laden Lebanese
“cake spice” (ka’ak), but relies on fennel seed for its licorice-like quality. Fennel has a rooty vegetal aroma in comparison to anise,
and is less assertive in pastry application when combined with warm spices
like cinnamon.

The ingredients in Green Land Sweet Spice include
anise, cinnamon, fennel and “spices”, the later of which sounds like a shopkeeper’s secret. When Green Land Sweet Spice is tasted neat, one can detect
mahlab (seed of the St. Lucie Cherry which is fragrant and has the taste of
bitter almonds), nutmeg and a souring agent that hits the taste buds like salt
before turning tart.

The combination of fennel seed with orange peel imparts a delicate caramel-like
effect that is nothing short of sublime. It is an excellent
example of a synergistic flavor pairing that works brilliantly in a
cookie recipe. Glass Petal Smoke decided to use the master dough from December's Lebanese Cake Spice Cookie recipe as a base for Green Land Sweet Spice blend.

If you have access to food grade essential oil of neroli two drops will add a delicate touch of floralcy to the overall flavor of the cookies. Note to perfumistas: this flavor suggestion creates a Guerlainade effect in the raw dough that disappears once the cookies have been baked. The woody, amber-like quality of Shalimar is instantly recognizable.

Glass Petal Smokesuggests allowing the cookies to rest in a sealed container a day before serving. This allows the orange zest to mellow so the other flavors can shine through. The addictive crunch of this cookie makes it impossible to east "just one" when accompanied by a good cup of coffee or tea.

Orange Spice Cookies

Recipe by Michelle
Krell Kydd

Yield: 60 cookies

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups
all-purpose flour (sifted)

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 ½
teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder

4 ounces (one stick) unsalted butter (softened at room
temperature)

1 tablespoon Mexican vanilla extract

⅔ cup
organic granulated sugar

1 organic egg (room temperature)

2 tablespoon Green Land Sweet Spice (a blend)

Grated zest of one small organic orange

Directions:

·Cut a 20 inch piece of wax paper and set aside.
This will be used to chill the cookie dough.

·Sift flour, salt, baking powder and sweet spice
mixture in a large bowl. Set aside

·In a small bowl grate orange peel using a
zester.

·Add egg to the orange zest and incorporate.

·Blend vanilla extract into the egg and zest mixture.

·In another small glass bowl microwave the butter
for 15 seconds (or enough time to liquefy without heating it).

If you live near or plan to visit southeast Michigan make sure to visit Super Green Land in Dearborn. It is located on Warren Avenue where many other flavor adventures await those with a curious palate and a desire to learn more about Middle Eastern food culture.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Whenever I am asked to speak publicly about the sense of smell, and why I find olfaction so compelling, I return to four elementary truths related to my experience in perfumery. Colored by alchemy, science and mystery they reappear with a self-affirming quality that provides comfort and inspiration.

I hope you will take the time to explore the role of the sense of smell in your life. Whether you are drawn to it as an art or a science, it's hard not to fall in love with it.

***

You Are the Vessel

How we organize our memories, even the ones we prefer to ignore
or suppress, defines who we are. The sense of smell and one’s identity are very
closely linked. When you practice smelling, via your environment or perfume,
you are sculpting the clay of identity.

Olfaction is about experience versus
the kind of judgment that colors attachments to likes and dislikes. That is what makes the study of perfumes so compelling; it is a
source of discovery every time you open the bottle. You may discover happiness or despair, but it's not about which feeling you experience; it is the experience itself that counts. The magic lies in the fact
that the genie is not in the perfume; it is in you.

Balance

Difficult fragrances test our memories, our notions of
balance between complements and contrasts, and truly, our very souls. If we
allow some space to understand what might repel us or cause confusion, we open
our minds to possibility. Even if we don't fall in love with what we find
strange or different, we come to terms with a different way of relating to life
through our senses. This is the diamond in perfumery; or any other art for that
matter.

Transcendence

A scent comes and goes whether it is a single molecule or a more complex structure. As human beings our bodies are not subject to the kind of volatility that aroma molecules are, but that does not give us license to squander our time in the mortal world. Whether we believe we are here only once or
for many lifetimes, a life well-lived is like a well-formulated perfume. We must refine our spirit to the point that we can
transcend ourselves. It’s not about conquering the world “out there”; it is
about conquering the world inside so we can shape the world around us and leave
this world a better place.

Trusting the
Invisible

You cannot see a smell. You may see an object responsible
for an aroma and be influenced by its shape and color, but evaluating a scent is
dependent on the mechanics of olfaction. The brain processes odor as feelings
and memories first. This is why it is difficult to come up with words to
describe smells. You have to trust the invisible when you are smell something;
neurologically and molecularly. We are creatures of habit that demand proof.
Olfaction requires patience and a Kierkegaardian leap of faith.

Notes:
The image that accompanies this article was created by Seymour List. The woman in the painting is his wife Mae. List is 80+ and has been married to Mae for over 50 years. List is retired and uses his computer to make art. Rights revert back to Seymour List.

The day after this post was published The Wall Street Journal ran an interesting story about the importance of smell calisthenics. You can read about it here.

Smell & Tell Event Schedule

Planning for Fall 2017 Smell & Tell programming is in the works. Enjoy the summer and Stay tuned!

Radio Interviews

WQKL-FM 107.1 radio host Martin Bandykeinterviews Michelle Krell Kydd about the sense of smell on the fifth anniversary of the Smell and Tell series at the Ann Arbor District Library. You can listen to it here. (January 25, 2017)

Three interviews in 30 days with Michelle Krell Kydd on NPR affiliate stations; because the sense of smell matters.

The Evangelist of Aroma

TEDx Talk by Michelle Krell Kydd

"Secrets from a Trained Nose," is a TEDx UofM talk given by Michelle Krell Kydd on March 20, 2015 at The Power Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Click on the image above to view the video which is featured on YouTube.

COMMUNICATOR EXPLORES SENSE OF SMELL, PROMOTES INTERDISCIPLINARITY

Lights, Camera, Action

This video is an outtake from an event at The University of Michigan. It was shot during last year's Polar Vortex. If you ever wondered about how all things "Glass Petal Smoke" got started, you'll find out here.

The Author and The Site

Glass Petal Smoke was created out of a personal passion for things olfactive and gustatory. The back story regarding a raw material or finished product is often rich with history, myth and folklore. When all of these aspects are brought together, they tell a story of our common humanity, as expressed through the senses.
Because Glass Petal Smoke is a blog, an element of cyber anthropology infuses the space in which it exists. Culture is about human nature and people who love food and fragrance are acutely aware of the connection between the senses and memory. Glass Petal Smoke appeals to readers who possess such awareness and those who aspire to it.
I hope you find inspiration, joy and wonder in the pages of Glass Petal Smoke and share whatever happiness it brings you with others.
Editorial queries may be sent to the editor at glasspetalsmoke [at] gmail dot com.

Dedication * Copyright

In memory of Chris Whitley, Karin Berg, Pablo Neruda and all who traverse the earth in their absence, souls who know that the space between the seen and the unseen is the most interesting place to be...